Fascinating Filipino Adventure Until Then Arrives 23rd May on PS5

We’re getting some really fascinating, unique indie games on PS5 at the moment – and Until Then looks like one that’s well worth keeping an eye on when it drops on 23rd May. The narrative adventure is all about high school life in the Philippines, as protagonist “Mark Borja and his friends navigate the joys and woes of another year of high school”.

The blurb reads: “Wake up in a typical teenage bedroom, practice piano, race to meet homework deadlines, and build (and burn) relationships, as you reminisce about the daily insecurities of high school life. That is, until a fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark’s life. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.”

A chunk of the gameplay will play out through the relationships you form, which will partially be conducted in contemporary ways, like through texts and social media. You’ll need to be careful which messages you like, as there’ll be repercussions in real life. There’ll also be minigames to immerse yourself in the mundanity of daily life, like successfully inserting USB sticks. (They never go in easily, do they?)

Of course, backdropping it all will be the immersive setting of the Philippines itself: “From the heart of the bustling capital to long bus rides past grass fields and coast towns, explore the world of Until Then set in a fictional version of the Philippines. Interior spaces are shaped by the mannerisms of the locals, setting the scene for a recent past.”